THE ee 
National Capital 
Events of one from the Seat of 
overnment 
By J. E. Jones 
The Breeze Bureau 
Washington, Dec. 16, 1913 
THE SHor?T Cut To PANAMA 
The volume of tourist travel to the 
Isthmus of Panama is surpassing all 
| previous records. Almost every one 
in official Washington has visited the 
_ great ditch, with the exception of 
_ President Wilson, whose plans to 
spend the holidays in the Canal Zone 
have been interrupted by Congress. 
A convenient short cut to the Panama 
Canal for tourists in the south, middle 
west and far western states, is made 
possible by the special pleasure cruises 
sailing from New Orleans. Two 
special cruises will be made by the 
Hamburg American line, beginning in 
January, which will enable tourists in 
these sections to visit the Panama 
Canal and the West Indies without 
necessitating a journey to the eastern 
seabord, The cruises will be made by 
the palatial steamer “Fuerst Bis- 
marck,”’ which assures all the luxury 
of modern travel throughout these de- 
lightful cruises. The visit to the 
Panama Canal and other West Indian 
ports may be made within a two 
weeks’ vacation, since the cruises cov- 
er sixteen days. Starting from New 
Orleans in the cruising steamer 
“Fuerst Bismarck,” the first call will 
be made at Kingston, Jamaica, where 
plenty of time will be afforded to ex- 
plore this modern Garden of Eden. 
A delightful feature of the visit to 
the Isthmus will be an actual trip on 
the Canal with visits to the principal 
points of interest. Ontthe return a vis- 
it will be made at Havana. Interest 
in the cruises is very keen in the Cap- 
ital among persons representing all 
section of the country. A pleasure 
cruise on one of the great liners is 
surrounded by every comfort, and the 
tourist is assured of a delightful trip 
throughout. The steamers are equip- 
ped throughout with all the newest 
safety devices and appliances. The 
short cut to Panama will open a new 
line of travel, which will doubtless 
meet, this year, with popular appro- 
val. The saving of time and expense 
brings the opportunity of taking the 
world’s “premier” trip within the 
reach of people in ordinary circum- 
stances. 
Test oF GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP 
That the question of government 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
ownership is soon to be determined in 
Congress, as indicated by the presi- 
dent's message regarding the propos- 
ed Alaskan railroad, is emphasized by 
the movement headed by Kepresenta- 
tive Lewis ot Maryland, generally 
supposed to be acting in behalt ot the 
aaministration, who will push legisla- 
tion to purchase the long distance 
telephone lines of the country as the 
first step toward government owner- 
ship of telegraph and telephone lines. 
A number ot Senators, inciuding Mar- 
tine of New Jersey and Vardaman of 
Mississippi, have declared their belief 
in the principle ot government owner- 
ship, and Senator Chilton of West 
Virginia asserts ‘‘that the principle 1s 
right, and I think we will have to 
come to it sooner or later.” ‘That this 
sentiment does not rest entirely 
among the Democrats has been em- 
phasized by statements from Senator 
Kenyon and other Republicans in sup- 
port of government ownership, 
WILL BANKERS CONTINUE To Kick? 
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts, 
has been an active and interesting fac- 
tor in the currency debate. He has 
asserted his belief that in the govern- 
ment distribution of moneys by the 
proposed Federal reserve board that 
there will continue the same character 
of criticism that has been made 
against the Secretary of the Treasury 
in the past. In parceling out deposits 
of government funds no bank appears 
to have ever gotten as much as its 
officers wanted—no matter how great 
the sum. 
FicuHt1inc Broop IN ConcrEss 
Even peaceful Mrs. Stevens of 
Maine, who has long been the distin- 
guished head of the Women’s Chris- 
tian Temperance Union, is threatened 
with the accusation of being a mili- 
tant, since by coming to Washington 
and organizing a great parade to 
march upon tthe National Capital she 
was indirectly responsible for a clash 
between Captain Hobson and Repre- 
sentative Donovan. Hobson in the 
open House declared his desire to 
“fight” his enemy from Connecticut, 
but as usual in such instances no 
blood was shed. Over in the Senate 
end of the Capitol things have also 
become turbulent, although the peace- 
loving Senators have not evinced any 
desire to spill blood. Senator Owen, 
in charge of the currency bill, has 
charged the Republicans with pro- 
crastination, thus angering Senator 
Gallinger, who after the manner of 
the privileges of veterans, adminis- 
tered a rebuke to the younger gentle- 
man from the southwest. 
Woutp EsrasrisH Homr Rute 
Under the plan of government in 
the District of Columbia, one-half the 
burden of expense is paid by the fed- 
eral government, and half by the city 
itself, It has been declared by a good 
many people who have studied the 
subject that the government pays 
more than one-half of the expenses of 
the District, and that the federal au- 
thorities are “usually away on settle- 
ment day.” Since Mr, Johnson of 
Kentucky has been chairman of the 
District committee, he has attacked 
the District of Columbia upon a good 
many occasions, but it remains for 
Representative Prouty of Iowa to 
bring forward the most constructive 
measures that have been suggested. 
He would give to the people of the 
district self-government, make them 
self-sustaining, and let them pay for 
their own municipal affairs. 
ERRATIC MARKET CONDITIONS 
A study of primary cotton market 
conditions in Oklahoma by the De- 
partment of Agriculture has inspired 
the statement that “there is not a sin- 
gle important step or process in the 
entire cotton handling and marketing 
scheme which owes its origin to a 
special consideration of the producer’s 
interests.” ‘The investigations cover 
the entire process of growing, selling 
and grading, and disclosed that the 
cotton trade in Oklahoma recognized 
no grade above common middling, al- 
though many thousand bales of high- 
r giade are produced. It is found 
that in the same day the range in 
prices paid in the local markets for 
different bales of middling cotton 
varied in different localities from 
seventy-five cents to fifty-eight dol- 
lars. The Galveston prices are appar- 
ently ignored. 
THE RIGHts oF STATES 
There is hardly a week passes but 
some southern member rises in Con- 
gress to tell of the rights of the states 
and to describe the functions of state 
government and the manner of at- 
tempted invasion by the National 
Congress. But now Mr. Volstead, 
ranking Republican member of the 
House committee on the Judiciary 
and a resident of Minnesota, attacks 
the proposal of President Wilson that 
Congress shall enact a law for the 
election of candidates in primaries, 
and bases his objection upon the 
rights of the states; likewise declar- 
ing that the proposition is uncon- 
stitutional. According to Mr. Vol- 
stead, the president’s plan “is an un- 
authorized interference with the con- 
stitutional prerogative of the states.” 
